Catch You When You Fall
by theatrekid92
Summary: James is in love with his best friend. What good can ever come of that?


**So, I guess I'll try to update *something* on Thursdays. If this is the first story of mine you've read, go read the others! Please. :)**

**I love you all for the reviews. I especially love the favorites and author/story alerts. You're the best. I love getting those in my email.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BTR. Waaaah.**

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><p>"James," Tori whined, "Are we there yet?"<p>

James sighed and said, for what felt like the millionth time that day, "No, we're not."

"How much longer?"

"There's only like an hour left. We're almost back."

Tori sighed and settled back in her seat. After a couple minutes of contented silence, James turned on the wiper fluid.

"Oh my god! What was that!" Tori shrieked.

"Dude, calm down. It was the windshield wipers."

"I forgot the windshield was there! It just started squirting at me and-"

James cut her off. "That's what she said." He turned to her and gave her a sly smile.

Tori scrunched up her face. "Why do you always have to do that?"

James turned back to face the road. "Do what?"

"Make everything sexual. It's not normal."

"Actually, that's _perfectly_ normal. You not doing it, that's not normal."

"How long have you known me, James?"

"I don't know... Like two-and-a-half, maybe three years?"

"And in that time, how often have I been 'normal?'"

"That's a good point."

They fell silent again, each thinking about their strange relationship.

They had met, as James said, about three years ago, at the Palm Woods hotel. Tori had just been another fangirl, fawning over the boys of Big Time Rush. Her parents had taken her up to Los Angeles to audition for a movie role. When she got the part, she earned herself a room at the Palm Woods hotel - home of the future famous. The first person she had met was Kendall Knight. With that, she could not have been happier. Kendall was her favorite from the beginning. He introduced her to the rest of the boys, clearly stating that he had 'dibs' and they started dating.

Tori and James had hit it off immediately. Neither being attracted to the other had been the key to their relationship. Kendall simply would not have put up with it if they had been. James helped Tori with her relationship with Kendall, and Tori helped James pick up girls. "Not that I need it. I'm gorgeous. I just need to know what's going on in their head."

From that point on, Tori and James had been best friends. Each helping the other with dating and life in general. Even after Tori and Kendall broke up, she and James continued their relationship, eventually becoming inseparable.

"Are we there yet? It's almost one in the morning already!"

"TORI. No. Just go to sleep or something."

"James, you realize that I will never sleep when you're near me, right?"

"Oh, come on." James gave her a sly smile. "What could I possibly do to you while we're driving?"

"I don't know, but I know you'd think of something."

James held out his pinky. "Tori. I pinky promise you that I will not do anything to you in your sleep."

Tori was skeptical. "You can't break a pinky promise, James. You know that, right?"

"Yes, and I understand the punishment for it."

"Good." They locked pinkies.

Tori leaned her seat back and closed her eyes. "Just for the last hour," she yawned.

James chuckled. He loved watching Tori sleep. Scratch that, he loved listening to her talk in her sleep. She would say the most random things. He remembered holding an entire conversation with her once, not realizing that she was asleep. Then there were the scary times, when she made noises that should never come out of a human, let alone the tiny brunette next to him. She was probably the heaviest sleeper he knew. She slept heavier than any of the boys, even Carlos.

As he watched the road, he thought about her. The way her grey eyes had no business being on her face, which was olive toned to match her dark brown hair, always styled in perfect waves. The way her nails were always painted a different color - he didn't think he had ever seen her in the same color for two consecutive weeks. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows, the soft pink lips that had grazed his cheek so many times when he wished they would land on his lips just once.

James Diamond was hopelessly in love with Tori. He had been since the looming end to her and Kendall's relationship 2 years ago. But he could never tell her. He realized that she would never forgive him for it. Especially now, since she was dating the co-star in her new film. It had started for publicity reasons - James hated that, when movie stars dated each other for publicity - but had since, as James knew well, developed into something real.

"_I think I might be in love with him, James." Tori told him after several months. "I think it might be the real thing."_

"_Oh my goodness, that's great!" James said, feeling crushed. Why couldn't she fall for him? "So when's the wedding?"_

"_Quit teasing. I'm only nineteen. I'm nowhere _near_ ready for marriage. I can't even think about it!" She made a face._

"_Oh, you know I'm joking." He said, grabbing her around the waist. "But really, you never know who you'll end up with. Not until you end up with them, anyway." James secretly reveled in this fact. One day she would realize that she belonged with him._

He resisted the urge to look at her, thinking instead of stroking her hair. Her gorgeous, long, soft, brown... "James... Stop it..." He said to himself.

"Stop what?" Tori asked.

James realized that she was asleep. She had that groggy quality to her voice that meant she was still dreaming. "Stop thinking about you. I just want to kiss you and stroke your hair. But it's never going to happen"

"You don't know that. What if she's really in love with you too?"

James let out a wry chuckle. "Right, of course you are. Conceited, brotherly old me. Besides, you have a boyfriend. One that you're in love with."

"James you're perfect. Any girl would be dumb to not like you back."

"Then I guess you're dumb."

"I guess so."

Neither spoke after that, not for the next twenty minutes.

James pulled into the parking lot of their apartment complex. "Tori. Tori, wake up. We're home." He said, shaking her.

"Jaaaaames." She was still asleep. "Cary me?"

He couldn't say no. "Of course. We can get the bags tomorrow." He got out of the car and circled around to the passenger's side. Picking her up bridal style, he carried her up to her apartment, entered, and brought her to her room.

He set her on her bed and tucked her in. "Goodnight, Tori."

Tori nestled further into her bed. "I love you, Jamie."

"I love you too, Tori." He turned to leave.

"Will you stay here Jamie?"

James sighed. "Of course I will." He stripped off his jeans and climbed into her bed behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered. "I can't say no to you." That was the last thing the room heard before they both drifted permanently off to sleep.


End file.
